THE bomb squad was called after a suspected unexploded shell was found at a building site.

A cordon had to be put in place as experts worked to identify the ‘suspicious object’ and remove it safely.

The device is believed to be a part of a shell which experts think could have been dropped by the Nazis during the Second World War.

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Residents living near the Montgomerie Gardens site, off Woone Lane, Clitheroe, said they were shocked to hear that a potentially dangerous weapon had been discovered on land where new houses were being built.

The device was discovered at 1.15pm yesterday and the builders immediately informed the police who put up a cordon and called the Royal Logical Corps Bomb Disposal team.

They arrived at 4.30pm and were able to examine the device and declared it safe.

Coun Sue Knox, who represents the Littlemoor ward and lives in Woone Lane, said: “I am extremely surprised. My concern was for the safety of the personnel that could have had to diffuse it and for the residents.

“To hear there is a bomb near where you live is very shocking.”

Local historian Roger Frost said during the Second World War, the Luftwaffe used Pendle Hill as a landmark to help them navigate towards Preston and Liverpool, where munitions factories were sited.

He said: “Clitheroe was in the flight-path of the German air raids.

“They did not have radar so they had to use landmarks to guide them and so the Germans aimed for Pendle Hill.

“A few bombs were dropped in Chatburn, which was not a mistake because there was a factory there that made the wadding for field guns, and so they were trying to bomb it.

“There was another factory in Grindleton which was making textiles for military use so it was not uncommon to find these in Clitheroe.”

Coun Frost, who represents Briercliffe, said East Lancashire was also used for British troop training.

He added: “They used the areas around Pendle Hill because they were converted into military training grounds. Quite a lot of discarded equipment like bombs and grenades have been found in places like West Bradford and Chatburn.”

In January bomb experts carried out a controlled explosion after a Second World War device was found on Pendle Hill by a walker.

A spokeswoman for Miller Homes said: “We can confirm that a suspicious device was discovered during excavation work at our site in Montgomerie Gardens, Clitheroe.

“Our procedures for dealing with this type of scenario were immediately put in place and on arrival the bomb disposal squad confirmed the device was a shell casing.

“The casing did not present any risk to our residents, staff or those living nearby.”

A police spokeswoman confirmed the builders found what they thought to be a bomb and cordoned off the area “Officers took photographs and sent them to the bomb disposal team who made their way to the scene,” she said.

“There was no threat to public safety.”